Aim

The video presentation is aimed to help you develop your oral presentation skills. In your professional life, you would have researched and studied a subject at length but your audience is time-constrained and is interested in the key points. If your presentation sparks their further interest, they will ask for more or read your more detailed paper.

The capacity to concisely present key points in a short presentation is an important skill that is highly appreciated by the customers and by senior management of businesses and government ( your audience) – and hence by your future employer. Your first real experience might well be when you pitch yourself (the 2-3 key reasons why they should employ you!) to potential employers in an interview.

The topic of this video presentation will test your understanding of some important concepts in the literature on asset returns and financial markets. We have seen examples where implications of financial theory may be tested using simple regression models. This is another example in which predictions by theory may or may not be supported by the data. The hypothesis that is being discussed here is that ‘Financial markets are efficient.’ You are provided with some readings to help you understand the foundations behind this hypothesis and most importantly the assumptions of the financial theory that stipulates that markets are efficient. The hypothesis has implications on the stochastic processes of returns series. 

Some Tips

Stick to the time limit. 

You need to project your voice. Do not talk as if in normal conversation-it will sound flat. Variation in 

your voice is also important-that is variation should be related to the content, e.g. emphasizing key 

points. Do not speak too fast. Have short pauses. Watch the news presenters on TV and observe 

carefully how they project and vary their voice in synch with the content. 

Remember, perfection is not expected. But energy and interest on your part are expected-otherwise 

why should your audience be interested?